Why We Blended Crack 5 Into Our Port Harcourt Refinery Petrol – NNPCL

 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has clarified its recent blending operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery, addressing claims that the refinery is not producing petrol as stated.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the NNPCL disclosed that the 60,000 barrels-per-day facility is currently operating at 70 percent capacity, with plans to increase this to 90 percent in the coming months.

The refinery, according to the company, produces daily outputs of 1.4 million litres of premium motor spirit (PMS or petrol), 900,000 litres of kerosene, 1.5 million litres of automotive gas oil (AGO or diesel), 2.1 million litres of low pour fuel oil (LPFO), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The statement, signed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, explained that the refinery incorporates Crack C5, a blending component sourced from Indorama Petrochemicals (formerly Eleme Petrochemicals), to produce gasoline that meets Nigerian specifications.

Soneye emphasized that blending is a global standard in refining processes, noting that no single refining unit produces gasoline that fully complies with national standards without incorporating additional components.

This response followed a media claim alleging that NNPCL was not trucking petrol directly from the refinery but blending Crack C5 with naphtha and other products for distribution. The NNPCL dismissed the report, reaffirming the refinery’s operational status and its compliance with global practices.

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The National President of the Petroleum Retail Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy-Gillis Harry, corroborated NNPCL’s position.

Speaking on his visit to the refinery, Harry confirmed the facility’s active crude distillation and refining processes.

“PETROAN has been involved from the beginning. The refinery is operational and producing 60,000 barrels per day. There’s nothing unusual about blending components; it’s a global practice for efficiency. I personally witnessed the process, from crude distillation to product loading into trucks,” he said.

Harry criticized critics who question the refinery’s operations without verifiable evidence. “Refineries are not generators you just kick-start; they require intricate processes to achieve commercial output,” he added.

The Port Harcourt Refinery’s rehabilitation has brought optimism among marketers, who expect better price moderation and affordability of petrol.

Data from the Bureau of Public Enterprises indicates that the facility now has a combined crude processing capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, with the old unit’s rehabilitation complete and operational.

NNPCL assured Nigerians of its commitment to transparency and efficiency, urging the public to disregard baseless claims and support efforts to restore the country’s refining capacity.